Padres 0 - 2 Mets
Final
  for this game

Dickey shoots for fifth straight win in capper with Friars

May 27, 2012 - 2:41 PM

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(Sports Network) - Knuckleball specialist R.A. Dickey aims to win his fifth straight decision when the Mets conclude a four-game series against the San Diego Padres.

Dickey is coming off a career-best 11-strikeout effort in a 3-2 win at Pittsburgh on Tuesday. He's walked just two batters and logged 19 strikeouts over his last three games and has a six-game unbeaten string. His lone loss of the year came April 18 at Atlanta.

In two career starts vs. San Diego, Dickey is 0-1 with a 4.38 ERA.

Through this season, San Diego's Edinson Volquez has not been getting the run support he needs. The right-hander, who has dropped his last two starts, toes the rubber today. The Padres have been outscored, 12-1 over his last two contests and they've scored more than three runs just once in games he's started this season.

Volquez is 0-2 with a 6.06 ERA in three career starts against the Mets.

On Saturday, Johan Santana tossed his ninth career shutout and first in close to two years as the Mets won, 9-0. Santana (2-2) last tossed a shutout on August 12, 2010 against the Colorado Rockies before undergoing left shoulder surgery in September of that year, which forced the lefty to miss the entire 2011 campaign.

The two-time Cy Young award winner allowed just four hits on Saturday and didn't issue a walk while striking out seven to extend his personal unbeaten streak to seven games.

"It's a great feeling for me just to put my uniform (on)," remarked Santana. "Being able to help and being able to go out there every five games is definitely something that I was waiting for and I'm very happy for and I'm just going to continue doing."

Scott Hairston belted a three-run blast and Mike Nickeas added a grand slam in the eighth for the Mets, who have won four of their last five.

Clayton Richard (2-6) was charged for four runs on five hits and three walks over six innings of work. He gave up four first-inning runs.

"It's tough when you put your team in the hole early on," said Richard. "Four runs is kind of a big hole and it kind of changes the momentum of things right off the get-go."

Yonder Alonso extended his hit-streak to nine games with a single in the first, but the Padres fell for the fifth time in their last six tries.

The Mets are 16-9 vs. San Diego at home since 2005.






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